.contact us |.about us

Highlights ... ...
Search:
    Advertisement
Basics about bird flu
( 2004-01-29 14:46) (null)

The rapid spread of bird flu, which is not uncommon among chickens and other fowl, has caught the attention of global health authorities. Here are the ABCs about this disease.

What is bird flu?

There are at least 15 different types of avian influenza that routinely infect birds around the world. The current outbreak is caused by a strain known as H5N1, which is highly contagious among birds and rapidly fatal. Unlike many other strains of avian influenza, it can be transmitted to humans, causing severe illness and death.

Bird flu is not the same as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Although their symptoms are similar, SARS is caused by completely different viruses. Influenza viruses also are more contagious and cannot be as readily contained as SARS by isolating people who have the infection.

Why the concern?

Influenza viruses are highly unstable and have the ability to mutate rapidly, potentially jumping from one animal species to another. Scientists fear the bird flu virus could evolve into a form that is easily spread between people, resulting in an extremely contagious and lethal disease. This could happen if someone already infected with the human flu virus catches the bird flu. The two viruses could recombine inside the victim's body, producing a hybrid that could readily spread from person to person.

The resulting virus likely would be something humans have never been exposed to before. With no immune defenses, the infection could cause devastating illness, such as occurred in the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic, which killed an estimated 40 million to 50 million worldwide.

How is bird flu virus transmitted?

In rural areas, the H5N1 virus is easily spread from farm to farm among domestic poultry through the feces of wild birds. The virus can survive for up to four days at 71 F (22 C) and more than 30 days at 32 F (0 C). If frozen, it can survive indefinitely.

So far in this outbreak, human cases have been blamed on direct contact with infected chickens and their droppings. People who catch the virus from birds can pass it on to other humans, although the disease is generally milder in those who caught it from an infected person rather than from birds.

If the virus mutates and combines with a human influenza virus, it could be spread through person-to-person transmission in the same way the ordinary human flu virus is spread.

What are the symptoms of bird flu?

Bird flu can cause a range of symptoms in humans. Some patients report fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches. Others suffer from eye infections, pneumonia, acute respiratory distress and other severe and life-threatening complications.

How could bird flu be treated?

Flu drugs exist that may be used both to prevent people from catching bird flu and to treat those who have it. The virus appears to be resistant to two older generic flu drugs, amantadine and rimantadine. However, the newer flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza are expected to work - though supplies could run out quickly if an outbreak occurs.

Currently there is no vaccine, although scientists are working to develop one. It probably will take several months to complete and may not be ready in time to stop a widespread human outbreak, if one occurs.

Culling an effective prevention measure

Rapid elimination of the H5N1 virus among infected birds and other animals is essential to preventing a major outbreak. The World Health Organization recommends that infected or exposed flocks of chickens and other birds be killed in order to help prevent further spread of the virus and reduce opportunities for human infection. However, the agency warns that safety measures must be taken to prevent exposure to the virus among workers involved in culling. (Sources: AP, CDC and WHO)

   
Close  
  Go to Another Section  
     
 
 
     
  Article Tools  
     
  E-Mail This Article
Print Friendly Format
 
     
   
        .contact us |.about us
  Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved  
主站蜘蛛池模板: xxxxx免费| 无敌影视手机在线观看高清 | 男人扒开双腿女人爽视频免费| 欧美日韩第二页| 日本三区精品三级在线电影| 女人把腿给男人桶视频app| 国产精品久久福利网站| 国产xvideos在线观看| 亚洲精品乱码久久久久久下载| 久久青草亚洲AV无码麻豆| 一区二区日韩精品中文字幕| 波多野结衣第一页| 练瑜伽的时候进入| 欧美乱子欧美猛男做受视频伦xxxx96| 搞av.com| 国产精品久久久久久麻豆一区| 啊灬啊灬别停啊灬用力啊免费| 亚洲国产欧美在线人成北岛玲| 中文字幕一区二区区免| 思思99re热| 真实乱视频国产免费观看| 最近中文字幕高清中文字幕电影二| 少妇无码太爽了不卡视频在线看 | 国产亚av手机在线观看| 亚洲欧美日韩中文在线| 中文字幕乱码人在线视频1区 | 国产日产精品系列推荐| 免费体验120秒视频| 久久婷婷五月综合色国产香蕉| 98精品全国免费观看视频| 蜜芽国产尤物AV尤物在线看| 欧美激情视频一区二区三区免费| 成人性视频在线| 国产在线精品一区二区在线看 | 国产黄视频网站| 喝茶影视喝茶影院最新电影电视剧| 亚洲国产成人久久一区www| 一个人看的www片免费中文| 野花香高清在线观看视频播放免费| 欧美卡4卡1卡2卡3超清免费| 妇乱子伦精品小说588|